Back to Black

The black tiles in the bathroom originally had off-white grouting that was very visible in contrast. So while renovating the room a decade ago I decided to turn them black, which makes the shiny tiles stand out instead. The black layer does wear off over time, at the places subject to frequent wiping of condensation after a bath or shower. So after a year or two it's time to touch it up there.

This is the wonderful stuff I use, bought from its British manufacturers via eBay. One bottle sufficed for the entire bathroom and toilet next door as well as a number of touch-ups. It's very easy to use - quick stir with a chopstick, apply with a toothbrush and after 5-10 minutes rub off the surplus on the tiles with a paper towel. Doing a square metre at a time keeps it manageable. Porous and painted surfaces should be taped off, but washing-up liquid and another brush do a good job of cleaning the odd slip-up. 

Less than two hours later the grouting is back to how it should be. It does need to cure and stay dry for 48 hours so we'll be washing from the basins for a bit. Once cured, I can get rid of those white calcium deposits with some vinegar (should have done that first perhaps but what the heck).